A while back, I went through a phase in life in which I actually had spare time. It was a phase I call "life before kids."
As evidence of that, if you look in my basement, you'll find large stacks of stamping and scrapbooking supplies. Some are still neatly organized based on paper size and color family. Others are haphazardly piled on top of each other in an attempt to keep it all off the floor.
Most are covered with dust.
I spent a small fortune on all those ink pads with coordinating cardstock and markers, not to mention the paper cutters, corner rounders, adhesives, stickers and other accessories and "embellishments". There's maybe not enough down there to finance a child's college education, but I bet it would cover a semester or two.
(Sigh.)
Thankfully, the expense of higher education is still a few years off for us, and so until those wonderful craft supplies can help fund my kids' college, I guess I'm glad they can help my daughter in preschool.
The homework assignment? Cut out and decorate what looks like an oversized daisy petal. I suspect the teacher will then piece them all together into some lovely flowers to hang on the classroom wall.
Sydney was very excited to tackle the project, asking if she could use my "supplies".
"I guess so," I told her. "What do you want to put on your flower petal?"
"Supplies," was her answer.
And so we found some ink pads and sponges, which were just perfect for getting ink all over her fingers.
Next we turned to glue and glitter. But the sparkle seemed too subtle for Miss Sydney, and so she determined we needed to look for more options. I opened another drawer of doo-dads, and Sydney spotted some fake flower parts. Done! From that moment there was no question of what would make her flower petal complete.
I had her pick out the pieces and helped her fit them together on a paper fastener.
First she needed one flower. Then one more. Then one more. And just one more. Four flowers later, something still was missing. A heart sticker!
I wonder if someday I'll ever need these supplies again. Technology has changed so much in the ensuing years that I suspect my next scrapbook will be a digital one. So maybe if Sydney uses up some of what I've got, I won't feel so silly for having spent so much on it back in the day. Back when I had spare time. What was that like?
It's like reading my "past" all over again. I know "somewhere" I have some boxes with things I was going to put in a scrapbook - some probably from when I was in college. None of my photo albums were labled until in the 1990's. I have sewing things, scrapbooking things, crocheting things, other craft projects, etc., etc., etc. ALL things I was going to do or finish "someday". We're several years into retirement now, and I still don't see a time I will get to all those old projects. Trust me...your projects will never get done.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as all your supplies..... I remember asking you once (BEFORE KIDS), as we stood in your kitchen at your first house, "How many dollars do you think you have invested in stamping supplies?" You had no idea, but as we talked you said, "Oh, maybe one or two thousand dollars. I hadn't really thought about that." Hmmmm. And how much have you added since then??? :>) Yup, let the kids enjoy. Once in a while you'll see a need for some of those things.